Geology, Exploration and Mining inBritish Columbia 1974 British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources DECEMBER, 1975. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION ....... 5 2 METALMINES ............................................ 11 Contents ........................................... 11 General Review of Exploration and Metal Mining ............ 14 Reports on Metal Mines ................................ 27 3 PLACER .................................................. 357 Contents ........................................... 357 General Review of Placer Mining ......................... 357 Reportson Placer Operations ............................ 358 4 STRUCTURALMATERIALS AND INDUSTRIAL MINERALS ...... 369 Contents ........................................... 369 General Review of Structural Materials and Industrial Minerals . 370 Reworts on Commodities ............................... 370 5 COAL .................................................... 405 Contents ........................................... 405 General Review of Coal Mining and Exploration ............. 406 Reportson Coal Mines ................................. 411 3 INTRODUCTION PREFACE The first Minister of Mines of the Province of British Columbia was appointed in 1874. One of his responsibilities was “the duty of collecting information on the subject of the mining industries of the Province.” This material, which consisted of reports by the Gold Commissioners and Mining Recorders ofthe Province, was published inthe Annual Report of the Minister of Mines. A Bureau of Mines was established by Parliamentary authority in 1895 and in 1896 was staffed by a Provincial Mineralogist and anassayer and chemist.Technical reports on mines and mining activities were prepared by them and published in the Annual Report, together with reports contributed by the MiningRecorders and Gold Commissioners. Over the years with the expansion of the mining industry, the staff of the Department of Mines grew, as did the number and size of the technical reports on geology and mining that were still published in the Annual Report of the Minister of Mines, Over a period of nearly 75 years the Annual Report became known as the authoritative record of mining in the Province. However, in 1969 because of the size to which the Annual Report had grown, it was decided to publish all geological and technicalreports dealing with solidminerals in a separate volume entitled Geology, Exploration and Mining in British Columbia. Thus a new annual publication was initiated with chapters on exploration and mining related to metals (Chapter 2). placer(Chapter 3). structural materials and industrial minerals (Chapter 4). and coal (Chapter 5). SOLID MINERALPRODUCTION IN 1974 The value of solid minerals, that is, metals, industrial minerals and structural materials, and coal, exceeded a billion dollars for the first time. This value was $1,030,883,091 in 5 m TABLE 1. SOLIDMINERAL PRODUCTION OF BRITISHCOLUMBIA, 1973 AND 1974 1973 1974 1974 Production Paid for to Mines Q uan tity Value Quantity Quantity Value Quantiw Value $ $ $ METALS Antimony Ib. 1,660,331 1,192,118 487,748 879,897 """ ...... Bismuth Ib. 2,851 13,058 74,320 680,771 ...... .."" Cadmium Ib. 810,779 2,951,236 432,062 1,532,096 204,542 525,983 Cobalt Ib. 40,907 117,403 ..__.. .."" ...... .."" Copper Ib. 700,198,538 582,803,251 633,936,038 541.644.91 3 633,852,204 440,490,965 Gold-placer 02. 3,831 31 1,524 1,452 232.51 2 1,452 232,512 Gold-lode, fine 02. 18,117,268185,986 160,791 26,749,083 158,748 22,027,877 Iron concentrates tons 1,565,467 12,906,063 1,440,651 12,742,227 1,431,831 12,661,965 Lead Ib. 187,153,430 30,477,936 121,811,971 23,333,016 120,606,766 17,144,823 Molybdenum Ib. 30,391,463 51,851,509 30.426.21 6 60,716,942 30,426,216 60,716,942 Nickel Ib. 2,467,472 3,775,232 1,518,234 2,351,406 1,518,234 1,994,439 Silver 02. 7,619,436 19,552,997 5,841,750 28,440,365 5,479,95921,839,235 Tin Ib. 304,727 597,265 317,061 1,150,722 165,582 264,565 Tungsten (W031 Ib. 1.41 1,800 4,224,062 ".". ...... """ ...... Zinc Ib. 302,874,331 62,564,751 171,374,439 59,582,753 164,160,930 42,289,883 Others ...... 4,161,923 ...... 4,488,138 ...... 3,855,685 SUB-TOTALS "". 795.617,596 ."." 764,524,841 """ 624,044,874 INDUSTRIALMINERALS Asbestos tons 108,966 21,102,892 91,936 27,398,900 Diatomite tons 565 9,526 1,756 32,600 Fluxes tons 46,228 106,371 37,976 206,049 Granules tons 34,321 857,643 34,774 1,025,615 Gypsum and gypsite tons 365,249 1 ,I 14,009 441,299 1,412,157 Jade Ib. 154,251 306,808 7,738 18,613 Sulphur tons 316,035 4,187,387 227,789 3,068,507 Others ....__ 285,028 ."" 51 3,773 SUB-TOTALS """ 27,969,664 ...... 33,676,214 """ 33,676.21 4 STRUCTURALMATERIALS Cement tons 950,772 24,935,624 981,472 25,828,823 Clay products ."... 5,590,290 """ 6,615,128 Limeand limestonetons 2,153,936 3,633,870 2,312,561 4,297,547 Rubble, riprap, and crushed rock tons 2,843,010 4,160,009 2,966,857 5,715,219 Sand and gravel tons 33,963,934 35,379,590 34,657,850 35.61 1,346 Buildingtons stone 804 21,448 498 20,330 SUB-TOTALS ."". 73,720,831 """ 78,088,393 """ 78,088,393 COAL Coal-sold and used tons 7,633,251 87,976,105 8,551,159 154,593,643 8,551,159 154,593,643 TOTALS-SOLID MINERALS ...... 985,284,196 """ 1,030,883,091 """ 890,403,124 1974 compared to $985,284,196 in 1973 (see Table 11. an increase of 4.6 per cent. The chief cause of this continuing upward movement in the value of solid mineral production in British Columbia in the face of generally sagging metal prices and world-wide recession was the considerable increase inthe quantity and value of metallurgical-grade coal produced. However, metals form the major component of productionat $764,524,841 or 74.1 per cent of the total, in contrast to coal at 5154,593,643 or 15 per cent, structural materials at $78,088,393 or 7.6 per cent, and industrial minerals at $33,676,214 or 3.3 per cent. Table 1 also includes, for the first time, the quantities of metals paid for to the mines, excluding outward transportation and smelting and refining costs. The significantly lower value to the mines of metal produced is illustrated particularly by copper where the value produced was $541,644,913 but the value paid for was$440.490.965. Copper is still the most important metal produced, representing 52.5 per cent of the total value of all mineral production, although production was down 66 million pounds from 1973. The demand for molybdenum remained strong during the year with the quantity of 30.4 million pounds of contained molybdenum being slightly higher than the 1973total, Values received for the molybdenum in thesulphides, oxides, and ferromolybdenum were all higher in1974 and totalled $60.7 million compared to $51.9 millionin 1973, an increase of 17 per cent. The quantities of lead and zinc produced were significantly down, chiefly as a result of the prolonged strike at the Trail smelter of Cominco Ltd. but, with anincrease in the average price during the year, the value was not as severely affected. The value of zinc production was $59,582,753 versus $62,564,751 in1973 and the value of leadwas $23.333.01 6 versus $30,477,936 in 1973. The strong demand for coking coal resulted in anincrease in production of 12 per cent from 7,633,651 tons to 8,551.159 tons which, with the significant increase in unit value, resulted in the considerable increase in value of 75.7 per cent or from $87,976,105 to $154,593,643. These five commodities, copper, molybdenum, zinc, lead,and coal, represent 81.5per cent of the total value of solid mineral production. Other commodities, with production in 1974 valued over 10 million dollars, include gold, iron, silver,asbestos, cement, and sand and gravel. PROVINCIALREVENUE FROM MINING COMPANIES Direct revenue to the Provincial Government derived in 1974 from the mining sector of the mineral industry was as follows: 8 TABLE 2. REVENUEFROM MINERAL RESOURCES Claim recording fees. lease rentals. and free miners’certificates. etc .................... $ 1,786,457.07 Coal licences and rentals ........................... 215,269.45 Coal royalties ................................... 1,642,329.75 Mineralland taxes ................................ 2,640,022.84 Mineral royalties - Copper .................... S8.246.67 4.07 Iron ........................ 155.925.04 Lode gold ................... 653,423.03 Molybdenum ................. 348,551.69 Silver ....................... 116,705.50 Zinc ........................ 9,521,285.37 6.04 Mining taxes .................................... 31,805,331.31 Rentals and royalties on industrialminerals and structural materials ....................... 583,371.93 TOTAL .............................. $48,194,067.72 EXPENDITURE BY MINING COMPANIES Major expenditures in 1974 by companies involved in the exploration. development. and mining of metals. minerals. and coal were as follows: TABLE 3. EXPENDITURE(MINING COMPANIES) Capitalexpenditures ................ $85.351. 747 Exploration and development ......... 74.674. 737 $160.026. 484 Mining operations (metals. minerals. coal) ........... 356.774. 652 Mining operations (structural materials) ............. 28.069. 189 Repair expenditures ............................ 115.560. 536 TOTAL ............................ $660.430.861 9 METAL MINES CONTENTS Page General Review of Exploration and Metal Mining .......................... 14 Reports on Metal Mines .............................................. 27 Introduction ............................................... 27 Southeast British Columbia (NTS Division 82) ..................... 32 Princeton - Kamloops (NTS Division 92H and 921) ................. 102 Southwest British Columbia (NTS Division 92and part of 102) ........ 163 East Central British Columbia (NTS Division 93) .................... 234 Northeast British Columbia (NTS Division 94) ..................... 288 West Central British Columbia (NTS Division 103) .................. 320 Northwest British Columbia (NTS Division 104 and part of 114) ....... 330 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS INDEX MAPS Figs. 5 . Index map of mining divisions and Figures A to G ...........